Diagnostic Parameter, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorderr Vocal Tics

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

A person with obsessive-compulsive disorder have either obsessions, or compulsions, or both. The obsessions and/or compulsions are strong enough to cause significant distress in their employment, schoolwork, or personal and social relationships. This includes: anankastic neurosis, obsessional neurosis and obsessive-compulsive neurosis

The person has obsessions or compulsions, or both.

Obsessions. The patient must have all of:

Recurring, persisting thoughts, impulses or images inappropriately intrude into
awareness and cause marked distress or anxiety.

These ideas are not just excessive worries about ordinary problems.

The person tries to ignore or suppress these ideas or to neutralize them by thoughts
or behavior.

There is insight that these ideas are a product of the patient's own mind.


Compulsions. The person must have all of:

The person feels the need to repeat physical behaviors (checking the stove to be sure it is off, hand washing) or mental behaviors (counting things, silently repeating words).

These behaviors occur as a response to an obsession or in accordance with strictly applied rules.

The aim of these behaviors is to reduce or eliminate distress or to prevent something that is dreaded.

These behaviors are either not realistically related to the events they are supposed to
counteract or they are clearly excessive for that purpose.

During some part of the illness the patient recognizes that the obsessions or compulsions are unreasonable or excessive.

The obsessions and/or compulsions are associated with at least 1 of:

Cause severe distress.
Take up time (more than an hour per day).
Interfere with the patient's usual routine or social, work or personal functioning.

The symptoms are not directly caused by a general medical condition or by substance use, including medications and drugs of abuse.